Mumbai: Elderly Patient With Plastered Leg Forced To Climb KEM Hospital Stairs As Only Lift Is Replaced; No Wheelchair Available | VIDEO

Mumbai, November 11, 2026: A video showing an elderly patient with a plastered leg struggling to climb the stairs at KEM Hospital has exposed the lack of basic patient facilities at its Seth Dhurmal Bajaj Orthopaedic Centre.

With the centre's only lift unavailable due to replacement work, the patient was forced to sit on the stairs and pull himself upwards, one step at a time. Shockingly, neither a wheelchair nor a stretcher was available to assist him.

The video, which surfaced on social media, has triggered criticism of the hospital administration and the BMC's Mechanical and Electrical Department for failing to make alternative arrangements for patients with restricted mobility.

The Seth Dhurmal Bajaj Orthopaedic Centre caters to around 400 patients daily and has a capacity of 280 beds. A large number of patients visiting the facility suffer from fractures, bone injuries and post-operative complications that restrict their movement. For them, a functional lift is an essential requirement rather than an additional convenience.

Lift Non-Functional For A Week

Anil Galgali, a social activist who first posted the video on X, stated that the lift had been non-functional for almost a week. “Even the work of maintenance is underway, there must be an alternate arrangement,” said Galgali.

Taking serious note of the video, BMC Public Health Committee Chairman Harish Bhandirge expressed displeasure over the functioning of the Mechanical and Electrical Department. He questioned why the lift had not been replaced in time and why adequate arrangements were not made for patients during the work.

He also sought details of whether replacement proposals had been submitted by officials but were pending at some administrative level. Pointing to recurring problems involving MRI machines, CT scanners and lifts in civic hospitals, he said patients should not be made to suffer because of administrative negligence.

Bhandirge has directed the administration to suspend the concerned officials of the Mechanical and Electrical Department and remove them from their existing positions. He clarified that his intention was not to blame anyone unnecessarily but to ensure that patients do not suffer due to officials' negligence.

Hospital Cites Lift Replacement Work

Meanwhile, a senior administrative official from the hospital said the orthopaedic centre has only one lift, which is around 30 to 35 years old. He clarified that the lift was not simply out of order but was being replaced.

The purchase order for a new lift had been placed in 2023, but alternative arrangements were being explored before undertaking the replacement work.

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Regarding the patient in the video, the official said he had been advised discharge two days earlier but was kept in the hospital for another two days at the request of his family members. He added that the patient was medically fit for discharge.

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